In your brief time on the planet, you've become one of the world's best women's racquetball players. You regained the #1 ranking on the Women's Professional Racquetball Organization (WPRO) tour last season by going undefeated. Only two other women have been undefeated in a season: Lynn Adams (1985-86) and Michelle Gould (1995-96, 1997-98).*
You've won two US Opens, four Pan American Championships, and gold medals in singles, doubles (with Samantha Salas) and the women's team event at the 2012 Pan American Games. You also won doubles (with Salas) at the 2010 International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Championships. Your 22 pro wins put you 5th all time behind Adams (45), Gould (41), Cheryl Gudinas (39) and Rhonda Rajsich (25).
Only one title has eluded you: a singles world championship. But you'll have the chance to put that on your resumé next month in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic at the 2012 IRF World Championships.
It would make a nice belated birthday gift.
(* Note: TRB's all time women's pro statistics are incomplete)
Follow the bouncing ball....
Showing posts with label WPRO. Show all posts
Showing posts with label WPRO. Show all posts
Friday, July 20, 2012
Monday, July 16, 2012
Happy 47th Birthday Marci Drexler!
You were the second ranked women's racquetball player for two consecutive seasons - 1992-93 & 1993-94 - behind Michelle Gould. Those were two of the 11 seasons you finished in the top 10 on the women's tour, which ties you for 5th most career top 10s with Lynn Adams and Kerri Wachtel.
You won multiple times on tour with your first win a five game victory over Caryn McKinney back in 1987. The Racquetball Blog's (incomplete) tournament records have you with 5 wins in 13 final appearances. Five wins is the 12th most by a woman, and given you were a contemporary of Adams and Gould, two of the greatest women racquetball players of all time, that many wins is quite remarkable.
That total doesn't include your 1984 US Nationals victory, which you won as an 18 year old, defeating Cindy Baxter in the final. The win got you a mention in the June 18, 1984 Sports Illustrated, as one of their Faces in the Crowd, where you were identified as a "snack bar attendant."
This season you made a return to competition and proved you can still play well, as you defeated Laura Fenton in the California Championships and played a tight match against Jackie Paraiso, losing 15-12, 15-13.
You played doubles with Fenton in this year's US Doubles Championships and finished 4th, defeating Danielle and Michelle Key before losing to Krystal Csuk and Cheryl Gudinas in the semi-finals and then to Aimee Ruiz and Paraiso in the 3rd place match.
You had a fine racquetball career and it's nice to see you playing competitively again.
Follow the bouncing ball….
You won multiple times on tour with your first win a five game victory over Caryn McKinney back in 1987. The Racquetball Blog's (incomplete) tournament records have you with 5 wins in 13 final appearances. Five wins is the 12th most by a woman, and given you were a contemporary of Adams and Gould, two of the greatest women racquetball players of all time, that many wins is quite remarkable.
That total doesn't include your 1984 US Nationals victory, which you won as an 18 year old, defeating Cindy Baxter in the final. The win got you a mention in the June 18, 1984 Sports Illustrated, as one of their Faces in the Crowd, where you were identified as a "snack bar attendant."
This season you made a return to competition and proved you can still play well, as you defeated Laura Fenton in the California Championships and played a tight match against Jackie Paraiso, losing 15-12, 15-13.
You played doubles with Fenton in this year's US Doubles Championships and finished 4th, defeating Danielle and Michelle Key before losing to Krystal Csuk and Cheryl Gudinas in the semi-finals and then to Aimee Ruiz and Paraiso in the 3rd place match.
You had a fine racquetball career and it's nice to see you playing competitively again.
Follow the bouncing ball….
Friday, July 13, 2012
Women's Racquetball Action All Off Court
There's been developments off court in women's pro racquetball, as a new organization has been announced: the Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT). Organized by Andy Kulback and T.J. Baumbaugh, the LPRT will be a player run organization.
The Racquetball Blog talked to Kulback, and he indicated that LPRT events would be open to all players. They are in the planning stages for their tournament schedule, but they hope to have 10-12 events next season. The idea is to "retrench" and create "a solid foundation" before figuring out their "growth path," according to Kulback.
We pointed out that there aren't a lot of regular tour players in their 20s, and Kulback indicated their growth path would mean some player development. To that end, he suggested that some collegiate players have indicated they will be playing more events this coming season.
Also, Kulback suggested they'd like to see some of the young talented players from Central and South American play on tour more often. One way to do this may be to schedule events closer together in time so as to help such players who travel to the US to play a chance at playing a couple or three events in one visit. Colombian Cristina Amaya played the last three events of last season without returning home, but that was a span of six weeks, which is not a brief time.
Having some events in Mexico, which the LPRT is exploring as a possibility, could also help the Latin American players.
Kulback and Baumbaugh are organizing the LPRT now, but there will be a search for a commissioner and a Board of Directors will be created. But he emphasized "the players will be the owners of the tour" even though they won't necessarily be involved in day to day decisions.
Asked about sponsorships, Kulback said many of the usual supporters within the racquetball community have been approached and they would like to look outside the racquetball industry as well, but they need to "get our own house in order first" before reaching "outside of the sport to find sponsorship opportunities." Kulback states "the initial response from the racquetball community has been very positive and the LPRT is looking forward to working with those supporters and building those relationships."
The Racquetball Blog also contacted Gigi Rock, Commissioner of the Women's Professional Racquetball Organization (WPRO) about this development, but she declined to comment on it at this time.
Too many cooks?
When The Racquetball Blog first heard that a new women's tour was in development, we were concerned, because it's a situation we've seen before in racquetball (with the Catalina tour in the men's professional game back in the early 1980s) and in other sports (such as boxing) and one that usually is not good for the sport in question.
It's fine for there to be separate national organizations, but it's best for there to be one organization overseeing professional competitions, as golf or tennis have. Hopefully, the LPRT and WPRO could make some sort of reconciliation so that there would be no split of players between the two. Such splits lead can lead to confusion among fans if one organization's #1 player or champion differs from the other, which has happened in boxing over the past few decades and in our opinion contributed to that sport's decline in popularity.
One thing is clear. People care about women's racquetball and want to see it succeed and grow. However, there are differences about how to accomplish that.
Hopefully, those differences won't end up being counter productive to women's racquetball.
Follow the bouncing ball….
The Racquetball Blog talked to Kulback, and he indicated that LPRT events would be open to all players. They are in the planning stages for their tournament schedule, but they hope to have 10-12 events next season. The idea is to "retrench" and create "a solid foundation" before figuring out their "growth path," according to Kulback.
We pointed out that there aren't a lot of regular tour players in their 20s, and Kulback indicated their growth path would mean some player development. To that end, he suggested that some collegiate players have indicated they will be playing more events this coming season.
Also, Kulback suggested they'd like to see some of the young talented players from Central and South American play on tour more often. One way to do this may be to schedule events closer together in time so as to help such players who travel to the US to play a chance at playing a couple or three events in one visit. Colombian Cristina Amaya played the last three events of last season without returning home, but that was a span of six weeks, which is not a brief time.
Having some events in Mexico, which the LPRT is exploring as a possibility, could also help the Latin American players.
Kulback and Baumbaugh are organizing the LPRT now, but there will be a search for a commissioner and a Board of Directors will be created. But he emphasized "the players will be the owners of the tour" even though they won't necessarily be involved in day to day decisions.
Asked about sponsorships, Kulback said many of the usual supporters within the racquetball community have been approached and they would like to look outside the racquetball industry as well, but they need to "get our own house in order first" before reaching "outside of the sport to find sponsorship opportunities." Kulback states "the initial response from the racquetball community has been very positive and the LPRT is looking forward to working with those supporters and building those relationships."
The Racquetball Blog also contacted Gigi Rock, Commissioner of the Women's Professional Racquetball Organization (WPRO) about this development, but she declined to comment on it at this time.
Too many cooks?
When The Racquetball Blog first heard that a new women's tour was in development, we were concerned, because it's a situation we've seen before in racquetball (with the Catalina tour in the men's professional game back in the early 1980s) and in other sports (such as boxing) and one that usually is not good for the sport in question.
It's fine for there to be separate national organizations, but it's best for there to be one organization overseeing professional competitions, as golf or tennis have. Hopefully, the LPRT and WPRO could make some sort of reconciliation so that there would be no split of players between the two. Such splits lead can lead to confusion among fans if one organization's #1 player or champion differs from the other, which has happened in boxing over the past few decades and in our opinion contributed to that sport's decline in popularity.
One thing is clear. People care about women's racquetball and want to see it succeed and grow. However, there are differences about how to accomplish that.
Hopefully, those differences won't end up being counter productive to women's racquetball.
Follow the bouncing ball….
Monday, June 25, 2012
USA Racquetball 2012 Junior Olympic Doubles Champions
Here's a rundown of the doubles winners from the 2012 USA Racquetball Junior Olympics in Fullerton, California. We did mention some of these results on Saturday, as many of the divisions finished up then. But below we've got a complete summary including the third place matches.
All three Boys singles champions in U14, U16 and U18 as well as the Girls U18 champion in singles won their respective doubles division also.
Jose Diaz and Marco Rojas won the Boys U18 doubles title against Rick Charbonneau and Ryan Charbonneau, 15-4, 15-10. In Boys U16, Adam Manilla and Sawyer Lloyd defeated Connor Laffey and Alex Winter, 15-11, 15-6. Finally, in Boys U14 Jordan Barth and Justus Benson defeated Mauro Rojas and Jake Birnel, 11-15, 15-7, 11-3.
The girls doubles U16 and U18 divisions were combined to make a six team round robin, and Kelani Bailey and Samantha Simmons came out on top. Only two teams were entered in the U16 division with Kaitlyn Simmons and Lexi York defeating Hollee Hungerford and Rebecca Nielsen, 15-6, 15-5.
Where are the girls? (Reprised)
The girls doubles divisions were combined, because there weren't many girls entered. Compared to two years ago there were a few more girls in the Junior Olympics (33 this year compared to 30 in 2010), and with a slightly lower participation overall the percentage of girls in the tournament was higher (23.2% this year compared to 19.5% in 2010). So, girls participation is up ever so slightly.
Nevertheless, as we wrote in 2010, these numbers are shockingly low. There are only 12 girls in the entire USA playing elite level racquetball? Really? That number's way too low.
The Women's Professional Racquetball Organization (WPRO) has begun a GoGirlGo! racquetball program, which will hopefully lead to more girls' participation. USA Racquetball has a women's committee focussed on increasing women's participation, but it doesn't mention girls' participation.
Regardless, while it's nice to have programs from the big organizations, there needs to be action at a local level to change things. In this case, that means recruiting girls to participate in junior programs, and maybe putting more effort into recruiting girls than boys as boys are easier to convince to play sports.
The bottom line for the US is that low participation levels at younger ages is going to catch up to them as the senior level. The US lost two consecutive major women's doubles competitions - 2010 Worlds and 2011 Pan American Games - for the first time ever, and without more girls playing that might be the beginning of a negative trend that could continue for many years to come.
2012 USA Racquetball Junior Olympics Doubles Results
Fullerton, California
Boy's U18
Final: Jose Diaz (Stockton, Calif.) & Marco Rojas (Stockton, Calif.) d. Rick Charbonneau & Ryan Charbonneau (Oregon City, Ore.), 15-4, 15-10
3rd: John Lindsay (Oregon City, Ore.) & Nicholas Riffel (Oregon City, Ore.) d. Dustin Cole (Oklahoma City, Okla.) & Brad Schopieray (Swartz Creek, Mich.), 15-2, 15-12
Boy's U16
Final: Adam Manilla (Centennial, Colo.) & Sawyer Lloyd (Petluma, Calif.) d. Connor Laffey (Salem, Ore.) & Alex Winter (Melville, NY), 15-11, 15-6
3rd: Joshua Lebow (Salem, Ore.) & Matthew Goolsby (Portland, Ore.) d. Diego Perez (Tyler, Tex.) & Alec Wasilonsky (Torrington, Conn.), 15-3, 15-9
Boy's U14
Final: Jordan Barth (Cold Spring, Minn.) & Justus Benson (Sun Prairie, Wisc.) d. Jake Birnel (Bellingham, Wash.) & Mauro Rojas (Stockton, Calif.), 11-15, 15-7, 11-3
3rd: Wayne Antone IV (Junction City, Ore.) & Daniel Fishbein (Barrington, N.H.) d. Jared Lee (Danville, Calif.) & Nikhil Singh (Pleasanton, Calif.), 15-7, 15-4
Girl's U16/18
1st: Kelani Bailey (Norfolk, Virg.) & Samantha Simmons (Crofton, Mary.)
2nd: Courtney Chisholm (Marlborough, Mass.) & Devon Pimentelli (San Bruno, Calif.)
3rd: Kaitlyn Simmons (Crofton, Mary.) & Lexi York (Milwaukie, Ore.)
4th: Hollee Hungerford (Milwaukie, Ore.) & Rebecca Nielsen (Upland, Calif.)
5th: Sarah Lewis (Beaverton, Ore.) & Elizabeth Simmons (Tucson, Ariz.)
6th: Erika Lipski (Portland, Ore.) & Krystle Boyle (Beaverton, Ore.)
Follow the bouncing ball....
All three Boys singles champions in U14, U16 and U18 as well as the Girls U18 champion in singles won their respective doubles division also.
Jose Diaz and Marco Rojas won the Boys U18 doubles title against Rick Charbonneau and Ryan Charbonneau, 15-4, 15-10. In Boys U16, Adam Manilla and Sawyer Lloyd defeated Connor Laffey and Alex Winter, 15-11, 15-6. Finally, in Boys U14 Jordan Barth and Justus Benson defeated Mauro Rojas and Jake Birnel, 11-15, 15-7, 11-3.
The girls doubles U16 and U18 divisions were combined to make a six team round robin, and Kelani Bailey and Samantha Simmons came out on top. Only two teams were entered in the U16 division with Kaitlyn Simmons and Lexi York defeating Hollee Hungerford and Rebecca Nielsen, 15-6, 15-5.
Where are the girls? (Reprised)
The girls doubles divisions were combined, because there weren't many girls entered. Compared to two years ago there were a few more girls in the Junior Olympics (33 this year compared to 30 in 2010), and with a slightly lower participation overall the percentage of girls in the tournament was higher (23.2% this year compared to 19.5% in 2010). So, girls participation is up ever so slightly.
Nevertheless, as we wrote in 2010, these numbers are shockingly low. There are only 12 girls in the entire USA playing elite level racquetball? Really? That number's way too low.
The Women's Professional Racquetball Organization (WPRO) has begun a GoGirlGo! racquetball program, which will hopefully lead to more girls' participation. USA Racquetball has a women's committee focussed on increasing women's participation, but it doesn't mention girls' participation.
Regardless, while it's nice to have programs from the big organizations, there needs to be action at a local level to change things. In this case, that means recruiting girls to participate in junior programs, and maybe putting more effort into recruiting girls than boys as boys are easier to convince to play sports.
The bottom line for the US is that low participation levels at younger ages is going to catch up to them as the senior level. The US lost two consecutive major women's doubles competitions - 2010 Worlds and 2011 Pan American Games - for the first time ever, and without more girls playing that might be the beginning of a negative trend that could continue for many years to come.
2012 USA Racquetball Junior Olympics Doubles Results
Fullerton, California
Boy's U18
Final: Jose Diaz (Stockton, Calif.) & Marco Rojas (Stockton, Calif.) d. Rick Charbonneau & Ryan Charbonneau (Oregon City, Ore.), 15-4, 15-10
3rd: John Lindsay (Oregon City, Ore.) & Nicholas Riffel (Oregon City, Ore.) d. Dustin Cole (Oklahoma City, Okla.) & Brad Schopieray (Swartz Creek, Mich.), 15-2, 15-12
Boy's U16
Final: Adam Manilla (Centennial, Colo.) & Sawyer Lloyd (Petluma, Calif.) d. Connor Laffey (Salem, Ore.) & Alex Winter (Melville, NY), 15-11, 15-6
3rd: Joshua Lebow (Salem, Ore.) & Matthew Goolsby (Portland, Ore.) d. Diego Perez (Tyler, Tex.) & Alec Wasilonsky (Torrington, Conn.), 15-3, 15-9
Boy's U14
Final: Jordan Barth (Cold Spring, Minn.) & Justus Benson (Sun Prairie, Wisc.) d. Jake Birnel (Bellingham, Wash.) & Mauro Rojas (Stockton, Calif.), 11-15, 15-7, 11-3
3rd: Wayne Antone IV (Junction City, Ore.) & Daniel Fishbein (Barrington, N.H.) d. Jared Lee (Danville, Calif.) & Nikhil Singh (Pleasanton, Calif.), 15-7, 15-4
Girl's U16/18
1st: Kelani Bailey (Norfolk, Virg.) & Samantha Simmons (Crofton, Mary.)
2nd: Courtney Chisholm (Marlborough, Mass.) & Devon Pimentelli (San Bruno, Calif.)
3rd: Kaitlyn Simmons (Crofton, Mary.) & Lexi York (Milwaukie, Ore.)
4th: Hollee Hungerford (Milwaukie, Ore.) & Rebecca Nielsen (Upland, Calif.)
5th: Sarah Lewis (Beaverton, Ore.) & Elizabeth Simmons (Tucson, Ariz.)
6th: Erika Lipski (Portland, Ore.) & Krystle Boyle (Beaverton, Ore.)
Follow the bouncing ball....
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
WPRO's 2012-13 Tournament Schedule
The Women's Professional Racquetball Organization (WPRO) has posted its schedule for the 2012-13 season. There are 10 Tier 1 or Grand Slam events on the schedule, which is balanced between events in 2012 and in 2013 with five in each. There's also a Tier 3 event - the traditional Wilson Tour for Hope in Cincinnati.
The WPRO season begins in late August with the Ektelon Texas Open in Dallas. Then there will be a break of over a month before the US Open in Minneapolis in early October.
In November, the WPRO will play in Mexico, which will be its first event outside the USA since September 2010, when they were in Cali, Columbia, and two weeks later in Seattle before ending the year with the Christmas Classic in Arlington, Virginia.
Two of the five events in the second half of the season are new and they are the first two events of 2013. The WPRO will begin the new year with the Winter Freeze tournament in Dayton, Ohio in early January and then in late February they'll be in Overland Park, Kansas for the Winter Classic.
The WPRO season will end with the Battle at the Alamo in San Antonio in April, the SCS Title and Escrow Pro-Am in Herndon, Virginia and finally with the Ektelon Nationals Presented by Penn in Fullerton, California. The WPRO was in Fullerton this past season, but only as a Tier 3 event. Next year they plan to have a Tier 1 event in Fullerton.
Of the eight Tier 1 or Grand Slam events this past season, seven of them are on the schedule for next season. The only exception is the Denver event, but three events have taken its place: in Mexico, Dayton and Overland Park.
All in all the schedule represents a nice progression for the WPRO from what seems to be a stable base of support. The spacing of events might be a bit better, as there are no events in September or March and multiples in November and May. But that's not something that's entirely within the WPRO's control.
We look forward to the next WPRO season, which is only a little over two months away.
2012-13 WPRO Schedule
Dates - Tournament - Location
August 24-26 - Ektelon WPRO Texas Open, Dallas
October 3-7 - US Open Championships - Minneapolis
November 1-4 - Abierto Mexicano de Raquetas, Mexico
November 16-18 - Seattle Event, Seattle
December 7-9 - Christmas Classic, Arlington, VA
January 4-6 - Winter Freeze, Dayton, Ohio
January 25-27 - Wilson Tour for Hope, Cincinnati
February 22-24 - Winter Classic, Overland Park, Kansas
April 19-21 - 2013 Battle at the Alamo, San Antonio
May 3-5 - 2013 SCS Title and Escrow Pro-Am, Herndon, Virginia
May 22-27 - Ektelon Nationals, Presented by Penn, Fullerton, California
(note: Tier 1 events in bold, Grand Slam events in bold italic)
Follow the bouncing ball….
The WPRO season begins in late August with the Ektelon Texas Open in Dallas. Then there will be a break of over a month before the US Open in Minneapolis in early October.
In November, the WPRO will play in Mexico, which will be its first event outside the USA since September 2010, when they were in Cali, Columbia, and two weeks later in Seattle before ending the year with the Christmas Classic in Arlington, Virginia.
Two of the five events in the second half of the season are new and they are the first two events of 2013. The WPRO will begin the new year with the Winter Freeze tournament in Dayton, Ohio in early January and then in late February they'll be in Overland Park, Kansas for the Winter Classic.
The WPRO season will end with the Battle at the Alamo in San Antonio in April, the SCS Title and Escrow Pro-Am in Herndon, Virginia and finally with the Ektelon Nationals Presented by Penn in Fullerton, California. The WPRO was in Fullerton this past season, but only as a Tier 3 event. Next year they plan to have a Tier 1 event in Fullerton.
Of the eight Tier 1 or Grand Slam events this past season, seven of them are on the schedule for next season. The only exception is the Denver event, but three events have taken its place: in Mexico, Dayton and Overland Park.
All in all the schedule represents a nice progression for the WPRO from what seems to be a stable base of support. The spacing of events might be a bit better, as there are no events in September or March and multiples in November and May. But that's not something that's entirely within the WPRO's control.
We look forward to the next WPRO season, which is only a little over two months away.
2012-13 WPRO Schedule
Dates - Tournament - Location
August 24-26 - Ektelon WPRO Texas Open, Dallas
October 3-7 - US Open Championships - Minneapolis
November 1-4 - Abierto Mexicano de Raquetas, Mexico
November 16-18 - Seattle Event, Seattle
December 7-9 - Christmas Classic, Arlington, VA
January 4-6 - Winter Freeze, Dayton, Ohio
January 25-27 - Wilson Tour for Hope, Cincinnati
February 22-24 - Winter Classic, Overland Park, Kansas
April 19-21 - 2013 Battle at the Alamo, San Antonio
May 3-5 - 2013 SCS Title and Escrow Pro-Am, Herndon, Virginia
May 22-27 - Ektelon Nationals, Presented by Penn, Fullerton, California
(note: Tier 1 events in bold, Grand Slam events in bold italic)
Follow the bouncing ball….
Monday, June 4, 2012
WPRO's season ending rankings
The season ending Women's Professional Racquetball Organization (WPRO) rankings are out, and there were no changes from the results at the Ektelon Nationals in Fullerton, California.
Paola Longoria finished the season as the #1 WPRO player for 3rd time in her career. Rhonda Rajsich, last year's #1, drops to #2 with Kerri Wachtel in #3.
Krystal Csuk finishes at a career high at #4 in only her second top 10 season ending ranking. Csuk was #10 last season.
Adrienne Fisher is #5 for the second time in her career. She also finished #5 at the end of the 2009-10 season, and was #8 last season.
Susy Acosta and Jennifer Saunders are #6 and #7, respectively, which is exactly where they finished last season. Cristine Amaya is up one from last year, finishing in the #8 spot.
Kristen Bellows is in the top 10 for the first time since the 2008-09 season, when she was #4, as Bellows finished #9.
Cheryl Gudinas's streak of top 10 women's pro tour finishes that began back in 1994 continues, as she finished #10 this season a little over 30 pts ahead of Da'monique Davis.
WPRO Rankings - June 4, 2012
Rank - Name - Country - Points
1 Paola Longoria (Mexico) 1344.00
2 Rhonda Rajsich (USA) 1120.40
3 Kerri Wachtel (USA) 543.40
4 Krystal Csuk (USA) 418.20
5 Adrienne Fisher (USA) 375.00
6 Susy Acosta (Mexico) 333.50
7 Jennifer Saunders (Canada) 330.50
8 Cristina Amaya (Colombia) 301.00
9 Kristen Bellows (USA) 298.50
10 Cheryl Gudinas (USA) 279.00
11 Da'monique Davis (USA) 247.60
12 Samantha Salas (Mexico) 207.00
13 T.J. Baumbaugh (USA) 179.00
14 Keely Franks (USA) 131.50
15 Grace Hughes (USA) 106.40
16 Laura Brandt (USA) 104.00
17 Linda Scales (USA) 95.50
18 Sarah Warhaftig (USA) 61.00
19 Sharon Jackson (USA) 58.60
20 Aimee Ruiz (USA) 57.00
Follow the bouncing ball....
Paola Longoria finished the season as the #1 WPRO player for 3rd time in her career. Rhonda Rajsich, last year's #1, drops to #2 with Kerri Wachtel in #3.
Krystal Csuk finishes at a career high at #4 in only her second top 10 season ending ranking. Csuk was #10 last season.
Adrienne Fisher is #5 for the second time in her career. She also finished #5 at the end of the 2009-10 season, and was #8 last season.
Susy Acosta and Jennifer Saunders are #6 and #7, respectively, which is exactly where they finished last season. Cristine Amaya is up one from last year, finishing in the #8 spot.
Kristen Bellows is in the top 10 for the first time since the 2008-09 season, when she was #4, as Bellows finished #9.
Cheryl Gudinas's streak of top 10 women's pro tour finishes that began back in 1994 continues, as she finished #10 this season a little over 30 pts ahead of Da'monique Davis.
WPRO Rankings - June 4, 2012
Rank - Name - Country - Points
1 Paola Longoria (Mexico) 1344.00
2 Rhonda Rajsich (USA) 1120.40
3 Kerri Wachtel (USA) 543.40
4 Krystal Csuk (USA) 418.20
5 Adrienne Fisher (USA) 375.00
6 Susy Acosta (Mexico) 333.50
7 Jennifer Saunders (Canada) 330.50
8 Cristina Amaya (Colombia) 301.00
9 Kristen Bellows (USA) 298.50
10 Cheryl Gudinas (USA) 279.00
11 Da'monique Davis (USA) 247.60
12 Samantha Salas (Mexico) 207.00
13 T.J. Baumbaugh (USA) 179.00
14 Keely Franks (USA) 131.50
15 Grace Hughes (USA) 106.40
16 Laura Brandt (USA) 104.00
17 Linda Scales (USA) 95.50
18 Sarah Warhaftig (USA) 61.00
19 Sharon Jackson (USA) 58.60
20 Aimee Ruiz (USA) 57.00
Follow the bouncing ball....
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Longoria wins, Rajsich loses and wins in Fullerton
Paola Longoria defeated Rhonda Rajsich one last time in the 2011-12 Women's Professional Racquetball Organization (WPRO) season as she won the Ektelon National Championships in Fullerton, California. Longoria was undefeated this season and the runaway WPRO #1 player.
In Sunday's final, Longoria defeated WPRO #2 Rajsich, 12-10, 11-0, 11-6. In the semi-finals on Saturday, Longoria beat Cristina Amaya, 11-4, 11-5, 11-7, and Rajsich defeated Kristen Bellows, 12-10, 11-9, 11-3.
Rajsich did win the US Team Qualifying division by defeating Cheryl Gudinas in the final, 15-5, 15-5. As in the WPRO division, Rajsich got to the final by defeating Bellows in the semi-finals, in this case by scores of 15-11 and 15-4.
In the other semi-final, Gudinas beat Adrienne Fisher, 15-9, 15-6. Then in the 3rd place match, Bellows defeated Fisher, 15-13, 15-14.
WPRO Ektelon Nationals - Fullerton, California
Final - Sunday
Paola Longoria d. Rhonda Rajsich, 12-10, 11-0, 11-6
Semi-finals - Saturday
Paola Longoria d. Cristina Amaya, 11-4, 11-5, 11-7
Rhonda Rajsich d. Kristen Bellows, 12-10, 11-9, 11-3
Women's US Team Qualifying Ektelon Nationals
Final
Rhonda Rajsich d. Cheryl Gudinas, 15-5, 15-5
Semi-finals
Rhonda Rajsich d. Kristen Bellows, 15-11, 15-4
Cheryl Gudinas d. Adrienne Fisher, 15-9, 15-8
Follow the bouncing ball….
In Sunday's final, Longoria defeated WPRO #2 Rajsich, 12-10, 11-0, 11-6. In the semi-finals on Saturday, Longoria beat Cristina Amaya, 11-4, 11-5, 11-7, and Rajsich defeated Kristen Bellows, 12-10, 11-9, 11-3.
Rajsich did win the US Team Qualifying division by defeating Cheryl Gudinas in the final, 15-5, 15-5. As in the WPRO division, Rajsich got to the final by defeating Bellows in the semi-finals, in this case by scores of 15-11 and 15-4.
In the other semi-final, Gudinas beat Adrienne Fisher, 15-9, 15-6. Then in the 3rd place match, Bellows defeated Fisher, 15-13, 15-14.
WPRO Ektelon Nationals - Fullerton, California
Final - Sunday
Paola Longoria d. Rhonda Rajsich, 12-10, 11-0, 11-6
Semi-finals - Saturday
Paola Longoria d. Cristina Amaya, 11-4, 11-5, 11-7
Rhonda Rajsich d. Kristen Bellows, 12-10, 11-9, 11-3
Women's US Team Qualifying Ektelon Nationals
Final
Rhonda Rajsich d. Cheryl Gudinas, 15-5, 15-5
Semi-finals
Rhonda Rajsich d. Kristen Bellows, 15-11, 15-4
Cheryl Gudinas d. Adrienne Fisher, 15-9, 15-8
Follow the bouncing ball….
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Upsets of 3rd & 4th seeds at the Ektelon Nationals in Fullerton, California
The top two seeds won but the third and fourth seeds did not in the Women's Professional Racquetball Organization (WPRO) division at the Ektelon National Championships in Fullerton, California. Paola Longoria, the WPRO's #1 player, defeated Keely Franks in three straight games, 11-3, 11-1, 11-9, but WPRO #2 Rhonda Rajsich needed four games to fend off Da'monique Davis, 13-15, 11-7, 11-6, 11-5.
Cristina Amaya caused one of the upsets, as she defeated fourth seed Krystal Csuk, 9-11, 4-11, 11-5, 11-3, 11-2, and reach the semi-finals for one of the few times in her career. (note: Amaya has never reached the semis of a Tier 1 or Grand Slam event, but the Fullerton event is a Tier 3 satellite event).
Kristen Bellows caused the other upset, as she beat Kerri Wachtel, 11-8, 11-1, 11-4.
In the US Team Qualifying division, Rajsich and Bellows are also in the semi-finals, and in fact, play each other in the semis. Rajsich defeated Janel Tisinger, 15-5, 15-7, in one quarter final match, while Bellows defeated Krystal Csuk, 15-9, 15-13.
On the other side of the draw, it will be Cheryl Gudinas against Adrienne Fisher, as Gudinas beat Laura Fenton and Fisher beat Jackie Paraiso, 15-8, 15-13.
WPRO Ektelon Nationals - Fullerton, California
Quarter finals
Paola Longoria d. Keely Franks, 11-3, 11-1, 11-9
Cristina Amaya d. Krystal Csuk, 9-11, 4-11, 11-5, 11-3, 11-2
Kristen Bellows d. Kerri Wachtel, 11-8, 11-1, 11-4
Rhonda Rajsich d. Da'monique Davis, 13-15, 11-7, 11-6, 11-5
Semi-finals - Saturday
Paola Longoria v. Cristina Amaya - 2:40 PM PDT
Rhonda Rajsich v. Kristen Bellows - 12:40 PM PDT
Women's US Team Qualifying Ektelon Nationals
Quarter finals
Rhonda Rajsich d. Janel Tisinger, 15-5, 15-7
Kristen Bellows d. Krystal Csuk, 15-9, 15-13
Adrienne Fisher d. Jacqueline Paraiso, 15-8, 15-13
Cheryl Gudinas d. Laura Fenton
Semi-finals - Saturday
Rhonda Rajsich v. Kristen Bellows - 6:40 PM
Cheryl Gudinas v. Adrienne Fisher - 11:10 AM
Follow the bouncing ball….
Cristina Amaya caused one of the upsets, as she defeated fourth seed Krystal Csuk, 9-11, 4-11, 11-5, 11-3, 11-2, and reach the semi-finals for one of the few times in her career. (note: Amaya has never reached the semis of a Tier 1 or Grand Slam event, but the Fullerton event is a Tier 3 satellite event).
Kristen Bellows caused the other upset, as she beat Kerri Wachtel, 11-8, 11-1, 11-4.
In the US Team Qualifying division, Rajsich and Bellows are also in the semi-finals, and in fact, play each other in the semis. Rajsich defeated Janel Tisinger, 15-5, 15-7, in one quarter final match, while Bellows defeated Krystal Csuk, 15-9, 15-13.
On the other side of the draw, it will be Cheryl Gudinas against Adrienne Fisher, as Gudinas beat Laura Fenton and Fisher beat Jackie Paraiso, 15-8, 15-13.
WPRO Ektelon Nationals - Fullerton, California
Quarter finals
Paola Longoria d. Keely Franks, 11-3, 11-1, 11-9
Cristina Amaya d. Krystal Csuk, 9-11, 4-11, 11-5, 11-3, 11-2
Kristen Bellows d. Kerri Wachtel, 11-8, 11-1, 11-4
Rhonda Rajsich d. Da'monique Davis, 13-15, 11-7, 11-6, 11-5
Semi-finals - Saturday
Paola Longoria v. Cristina Amaya - 2:40 PM PDT
Rhonda Rajsich v. Kristen Bellows - 12:40 PM PDT
Women's US Team Qualifying Ektelon Nationals
Quarter finals
Rhonda Rajsich d. Janel Tisinger, 15-5, 15-7
Kristen Bellows d. Krystal Csuk, 15-9, 15-13
Adrienne Fisher d. Jacqueline Paraiso, 15-8, 15-13
Cheryl Gudinas d. Laura Fenton
Semi-finals - Saturday
Rhonda Rajsich v. Kristen Bellows - 6:40 PM
Cheryl Gudinas v. Adrienne Fisher - 11:10 AM
Follow the bouncing ball….
Friday, May 25, 2012
WPRO Ektelon Nationals Round of 16 UPDATED
No upsets so far in the Women's Professional Racquetball Organization (WPRO) division at the Ektelon National Championships in Fullerton, California. The top seeds Paola Longoria and Rhonda Rajsich both won their Round of 16 matches in three straight games.
Longoria defeated fellow Mexican Jessica Parrilla, 11-4, 11-6, 11-5, while Rajsich was the victor in a battle of former #1 women's tour players, as she beat Jacqueline Paraiso, 11-5, 11-2, 11-2.
There were also no upsets in women's US Team Qualifying, although there was one close match, as Laura Fenton defeated Grace Hughes, 15-9, 7-15, 11-10. Fenton will now face Cheryl Gudinas in the quarter finals.
WPRO Ektelon Nationals - Fullerton, California
Round of 16
Paola Longoria d. Jessica Parrilla, 11-4, 11-6, 11-5
Keely Franks d. T.J. Baumbaugh, 11-5, 11-7, 11-1
Cristina Amaya d. Linda Scales, 11-9, 11-5, 15-13
Krystal Csuk d. Jocelyn Loredo, 11-6, 11-3, 11-4
Kerri Wachtel d. Carla Munoz, 11-1, 4-11, 11-3, 11-7
Kristen Bellows d. Laura Brandt, 11-5, 11-3, 11-5
Da'monique Davis d. Grace Hughes, 12-10, 12-10, 5-11, 11-6
Rhonda Rajsich d. Jacqueline Paraiso, 11-5, 11-2, 11-2
Quarter finals
Paola Longoria v. Keely Franks
Krystal Csuk v. Cristina Amaya
Kerri Wachtel v. Kristen Bellows
Rhonda Rajsich v. Da'monique Davis
Women's US Team Qualifying Ektelon Nationals
Round of 16
Rhonda Rajsich BYE
Janel Tisinger d. Da'monique Davis, 15-12, 15-1
Kristen Bellows d. T.J. Baumbaugh, 15-0, 15-1
Krystal Csuk d. Cheyenne Hayes, 15-13, 15-10
Adrienne Fisher d. Debbie Beldring, 15-10, 15-10
Jacqueline Paraiso d. Keely Franks, 15-9, 15-10
Laura Fenton d. Grace Hughes, 15-9, 7-15, 11-10
Cheryl Gudinas BYE
Quarter finals
Rhonda Rajsich v. Janel Tisinger
Krystal Csuk v. Kristen Bellows
Adrienne Fisher v. Jacqueline Paraiso
Cheryl Gudinas v. Laura Fenton
Follow the bouncing ball….
Longoria defeated fellow Mexican Jessica Parrilla, 11-4, 11-6, 11-5, while Rajsich was the victor in a battle of former #1 women's tour players, as she beat Jacqueline Paraiso, 11-5, 11-2, 11-2.
There were also no upsets in women's US Team Qualifying, although there was one close match, as Laura Fenton defeated Grace Hughes, 15-9, 7-15, 11-10. Fenton will now face Cheryl Gudinas in the quarter finals.
WPRO Ektelon Nationals - Fullerton, California
Round of 16
Paola Longoria d. Jessica Parrilla, 11-4, 11-6, 11-5
Keely Franks d. T.J. Baumbaugh, 11-5, 11-7, 11-1
Cristina Amaya d. Linda Scales, 11-9, 11-5, 15-13
Krystal Csuk d. Jocelyn Loredo, 11-6, 11-3, 11-4
Kerri Wachtel d. Carla Munoz, 11-1, 4-11, 11-3, 11-7
Kristen Bellows d. Laura Brandt, 11-5, 11-3, 11-5
Da'monique Davis d. Grace Hughes, 12-10, 12-10, 5-11, 11-6
Rhonda Rajsich d. Jacqueline Paraiso, 11-5, 11-2, 11-2
Quarter finals
Paola Longoria v. Keely Franks
Krystal Csuk v. Cristina Amaya
Kerri Wachtel v. Kristen Bellows
Rhonda Rajsich v. Da'monique Davis
Women's US Team Qualifying Ektelon Nationals
Round of 16
Rhonda Rajsich BYE
Janel Tisinger d. Da'monique Davis, 15-12, 15-1
Kristen Bellows d. T.J. Baumbaugh, 15-0, 15-1
Krystal Csuk d. Cheyenne Hayes, 15-13, 15-10
Adrienne Fisher d. Debbie Beldring, 15-10, 15-10
Jacqueline Paraiso d. Keely Franks, 15-9, 15-10
Laura Fenton d. Grace Hughes, 15-9, 7-15, 11-10
Cheryl Gudinas BYE
Quarter finals
Rhonda Rajsich v. Janel Tisinger
Krystal Csuk v. Kristen Bellows
Adrienne Fisher v. Jacqueline Paraiso
Cheryl Gudinas v. Laura Fenton
Follow the bouncing ball….
Thursday, May 24, 2012
WPRO Ektelon Nationals Round of 16
Early results from the Women's Professional Racquetball Organization (WPRO) division at the Ektelon National Championships in Fullerton, California have Keely Franks defeating T.J. Baumbaugh, 11-5, 11-7, 11-1, in the Round of 16.
Earlier Jessica Parrilla defeated Marci Drexler in five games, while former WPRO #1 Jacqueline Paraiso beat Cheyenne Hayes, 11-0, 11-1, 11-1.
In the Women's US Team Qualifying, Adrienne Fisher beat Debbie Beldring, 15-10, 15-10 in the Round of 16.
WPRO Ektelon Nationals - Fullerton, California
Round of 16
Paola Longoria v. Jessica Parrilla
Keely Franks d. T.J. Baumbaugh, 11-5, 11-7, 11-1
Cristina Amaya v. Linda Scales
Krystal Csuk v. Jocelyn Loredo
Kerri Wachtel v. Carla Munoz
Kristen Bellows v. Laura Brandt
Da'monique Davis v. Grace Hughes
Rhonda Rajsich v. Jacqueline Paraiso
Round of 32
Jessica Parrilla d. Marci Drexler, 11-7, 11-6, 6-11, 6-11, 11-4
Jacqueline Paraiso d. Cheyenne Hayes, 11-0, 11-1, 11-1
Women's US Team Qualifying Ektelon Nationals
Round of 16
Rhonda Rajsich BYE
Janel Tisinger v. Da'monique Davis
Kristen Bellows v. T.J. Baumbaugh
Krystal Csuk v. Cheyenne Hayes
Adrienne Fisher d. Debbie Beldring, 15-10, 15-10
Jacqueline Paraiso v. Keely Franks
Laura Fenton v. Grace Hughes
Cheryl Gudinas BYE
Follow the bouncing ball….
Earlier Jessica Parrilla defeated Marci Drexler in five games, while former WPRO #1 Jacqueline Paraiso beat Cheyenne Hayes, 11-0, 11-1, 11-1.
In the Women's US Team Qualifying, Adrienne Fisher beat Debbie Beldring, 15-10, 15-10 in the Round of 16.
WPRO Ektelon Nationals - Fullerton, California
Round of 16
Paola Longoria v. Jessica Parrilla
Keely Franks d. T.J. Baumbaugh, 11-5, 11-7, 11-1
Cristina Amaya v. Linda Scales
Krystal Csuk v. Jocelyn Loredo
Kerri Wachtel v. Carla Munoz
Kristen Bellows v. Laura Brandt
Da'monique Davis v. Grace Hughes
Rhonda Rajsich v. Jacqueline Paraiso
Round of 32
Jessica Parrilla d. Marci Drexler, 11-7, 11-6, 6-11, 6-11, 11-4
Jacqueline Paraiso d. Cheyenne Hayes, 11-0, 11-1, 11-1
Women's US Team Qualifying Ektelon Nationals
Round of 16
Rhonda Rajsich BYE
Janel Tisinger v. Da'monique Davis
Kristen Bellows v. T.J. Baumbaugh
Krystal Csuk v. Cheyenne Hayes
Adrienne Fisher d. Debbie Beldring, 15-10, 15-10
Jacqueline Paraiso v. Keely Franks
Laura Fenton v. Grace Hughes
Cheryl Gudinas BYE
Follow the bouncing ball….
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
WPRO draw in Fullerton - Ektelon Nationals
The Women's Professional Racquetball Organization's (WPRO's) season ends this week at the Ektelon National Championships in Fullerton, California. Eighteen players are in the event, which is a Tier 3, but most of the top players are there.
Included in the draw are the WPRO #1 player Paola Longoria as well as #2 Rhonda Rajsich, #3 Kerri Wachtel and #4 Krystal Csuk. However, some of the top players in the Women's Open/US Team Qualifying, but not the WPRO draw, including Adrienne Fisher and Cheryl Gudinas.
Further some of the women are playing both divisions, including Rajsich and Csuk.
WPRO Ektelon Nationals - Fullerton, California
Round of 32 - Thursday
Marci Drexler v. Jessica Parrilla
Cheyenne Hayes v. Jacqueline Paraiso
Round of 16 - Thursday
Paola Longoria v. Marci Drexler or Jessica Parrilla
Keely Franks vs T.J. Baumbaugh
Cristina Amaya v. Linda Scales
Krystal Csuk v. Jocelyn Loredo
Kerri Wachtel v. Carla Munoz
Kristen Bellows v. Laura Brandt
Da'monique Davis v. Grace Hughes
Rhonda Rajsich v. Cheyenne Hayes or Jacqueline Paraiso
Follow the bouncing ball….
Monday, May 14, 2012
WPRO Rankings Updated
The Women's Professional Racquetball Organization (WPRO) has updated its rankings following the SCS Title and Escrow Pro-Am in Herndon, Virginia. There's only one WPRO event left this season - a Tier 3 event at the USA Racquetball Nationals in Fullerton, so the rankings are unlikely to change very much.
Paola Longoria will finish as the #1 WPRO player with Rhonda Rajsich as #2 and Kerri Wachtel as #3. Krystal Csuk looks likely to finish the season at a career high of #4 ahead of Adrienne Fisher at #5.
Susy Acosta edged ahead of Jennifer Saunders into the #6 spot with Saunders at #7. Canadian Saunders won't be in Fullerton, as the Canadian National Championships are occurring at the same time and she'll be looking to extend her streak of Canadian Championships when that kicks off in Brossard, Québec.
Cristina Amaya at #8 will finish in the top 10 for the second year in a row. Kristen Bellows looks like she'll be in the season ending top 10 for the 9th time of her career but first time since 2008-09.
Finally, it seems that Cheryl Gudinas will continue her streak of top 10 women's pro tour finishes that began back in 1994, as she sits in 10th, 40 points ahead of Da'monique Davis.
The second 10 spots are dominated by women with five letter names: Davis, Salas, Keely, Grace, Laura, Linda, Sarah and Aimee. Only T.J. Baumbaugh in 13th and Sharon Jackson in 19th are exceptions.
WPRO Rankings - May 12, 2012
Rank - Name - Country - Points
1 Paola Longoria (Mexico) 1312.00
2 Rhonda Rajsich (USA) 1098.00
3 Kerri Wachtel (USA) 535.40
4 Krystal Csuk (USA) 409.00
5 Adrienne Fisher (USA) 375.00
6 Susy Acosta (Mexico) 333.50
7 Jennifer Saunders (Canada) 330.50
8 Cristina Amaya (Colombia) 289.00
9 Kristen Bellows (USA) 286.50
10 Cheryl Gudinas (USA) 279.00
11 Da'monique Davis (USA) 239.00
12 Samantha Salas (Mexico) 207.00
13 T.J. Baumbaugh (USA) 175.00
14 Keely Franks (USA) 123.50
15 Grace Hughes (USA) 102.00
16 Laura Brandt (USA) 100.00
17 Linda Scales (USA) 91.50
18 Sarah Warhaftig (USA) 61.00
19 Sharon Jackson (USA) 58.60
20 Aimee Ruiz (USA) 57.00
Follow the bouncing ball....
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Longoria signs with Head-Penn
Paola Longoria has signed a "long-term contract" with HEAD/Penn Racquet Sports. Previously, Longoria was with Ektelon, but our understanding is that arrangement was a tournament by tournament deal this season.
Longoria, 22, is the top ranked player on the Women's Professional Racquetball Organization (WPRO) tour. She's won 21 of the 35 Tier 1 or Grand Slam WPRO events over the past four seasons, including every event she entered this season.
Longoria, a native of San Luis Potosi, Mexico, joins fellow Mexican Samantha Salas, who teamed with Longoria to win the 2010 World Championship in doubles as well as Pan American Games gold in doubles last year, as well as her coach Fran Davis, in the HEAD/Penn racquetball group.
Longoria won her first tournament with a Head racquet last weekend, as she used the new HEAD Black Widow 160 racquet to win the SCS Title & Escrow Pro-Am in Herndon, Virgina.
A press release on the HEAD/Penn Facebook page quoted Doug Ganimm, HEAD/Penn's Manager of Indoor Promotions, as saying "we are thrilled to have Paola join the HEAD/Penn team. She is not only the most dominant women's player in the world but is a class act on and off the court. As the leading brands in the sport we look forward to providing her with the equipment she needs to further increase her competitive advantage."
For her part, Longoria said "I am very excited to join the premier racquetball equipment maker in the industry. By joining the HEAD/Penn team, I now have the best equipment on the market that will help me remain the No. 1 ranked player in the world. I’m so happy to be part of the HEAD/Penn team and look forward to achieving more titles."
The final WPRO event of the season is a Tier 3 event at USA Racquetball's National Singles Championships in Fullerton, California May 23-27. Longoria is expected to be competing there.
Follow the bouncing ball....
Monday, May 7, 2012
Weekend Round Up
Grace Hughes won the Women's Open division of the SCS Title and Escrow Pro-Am in Herndon, Virginia, as she defeated Cristina Amaya, 15-9, 15-13, in the final.
Hughes, seeded 4th, got to the final with the 15-14, 15-14 upset of top seed Da'monique Davis in the semi-finals. Third Amaya beat 2nd seed Keely Franks in the other semi, 15-5, 15-4.
Franks did win women's open doubles with Jennifer Saunders, as they defeated Candi Hostovich and Kristen Junkin, 15-10, 15-3.
Also, Davis came out on top in mixed open doubles as she and Mauricio Zelada defeated Erik Blood and T. J. Baumbaugh, 15-13, 15-6.
IRT
Ben Croft won the Cinco De Mayo Shootout - a Tier 4 event on the International Racquetball Tour (IRT) in Pueblo, Colorado, defeating Tony Carson, 5-11, 11-5, 12-10, 12-10, in the final.
Croft beat Nick Montalbano, 11-6, 5-11, 11-3, 11-1, in one semi-final, while Carson beat up and coming junior Adam Manilla, 11-2, 11-7, 11-2, in the other.
Rocky Carson won the HEAD Penn IRT Pro/Am Series event in Scottsdale, Arizona - a Tier 5 IRT event. He beat Arthur Schmeiser, 11-2, 11-3, 11-2, in the final. In the semi-finals, Carson defeated Bobby Ferreira, 11-4, 11-2, 11-5, and Schmeiser beat Rick Wagner, 11-5, 11-13, 13-11, 11-1.
Finally, in Oklahoma City, Erik Leetch won the IRT Tier 5 Twister City Pro-Am when Juan Martinez III had to take an injury forfeit. Leetch reached the final with a four game victory over Dustin Wheeler, 11-9, 11-4, 9-11, 11-6 with Martinez defeating Scott Wolford in the other semi, 12-10, 11-9, 11-7.
2012 SCS Title and Escrow Pro-Am - Herndon, Virginia
Women's Open Final
Grace Hughes d. Cristina Amaya, 15-9, 15-13
Semi-final
Grace Hughes d. Da'monique Davis, 15-14, 15-14
Cristina Amaya d. Keely Franks, 15-5, 15-4
IRT - Cinco De Mayo Shootout - Pueblo, Colorado
Final
Ben Croft d. Tony Carson, 5-11, 11-5, 12-10, 12-10
Semi-finals
Ben Croft d. Nick Montalbano, 11-6, 5-11, 11-3, 11-1
Tony Carson d. Adam Manilla, 11-2, 11-7, 11-2
HEAD Penn IRT Pro/Am Series #5, Scottsdale, Arizona
Final
Rocky Carson d. Arthur Schmeiser, 11-2, 11-3, 11-2
Semi-finals
Rocky Carson d. Bobby Ferreira, 11-4, 11-2, 11-5
Arthur Schmeiser d. Rick Wagner, 11-5, 11-13, 13-11, 11-1
Twister City Pro-Am, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Final
Erik Leetch d. Juan Martinez III, injury forfeit
Semi-final
Erik Leetch d. Dustin Wheeler, 11-9, 11-4, 9-11, 11-6
Juan Martinez III d. Scott Wolford, 12-10, 11-9, 11-7
Follow the bouncing ball....
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Longoria wins 2012 SCS Title & Escrow WPRO Tournament
Paola Longoria continued her unbeaten streak in the 2011-12 Women's Professional Racquetball Organization (WPRO) season with a win over Rhonda Rajsich in the final of the SCS Title and Escrow Pro-Am in Herndon, Virginia, winning 7-11, 3-11, 11-9, 11-7, 11-8.
Neither player drove serve very much, choosing instead to use half Z serves. Longoria hit them to Rajsich's forehand while Rajsich hit them backhanded to Longoria's backhand. Although they did use other serves, but those were what they relied on.
After winning the first two games, Rajsich looked good to complete the upset in game three, as she was up 5-1. However, Longoria came back to lead 8-7. But Rajsich took the next two points to get the lead back at 9-8.
However, Longoria pushed it to 10-8 with the 10th point coming on a skipped overhead return by Rajsich on that half Z to her forehand, and then Longoria closed it out to force game four, winning 11-8.
Longoria led all the way in game four, although Rajsich made it close late when she drew within one trailing 8-7. The game point was another skipped serve return by Rajsich, as Longoria won 11-7.
In game five, Longoria looked like she was going to close it out easily, as she quickly grabbed a 6-0 lead. But Rajsich is a fighter - she dove more than 20 times during the match - and she fought back again to tie the game at 8-8. Rajsich's 7th and 8th points were the result of skips by Longoria, who may have been feeling the pressure.
However, in the end it was the #1 player who once again came out on top, defeating the #2 player 11-8 in the fifth game.
This is the last WPRO Tier 1 event of the season, but they will play a Tier 3 event later this month in Fullerton at the USA Racquetball Ektelon Nationals May 23-27.
WPRO 2012 SCS Title and Escrow Pro-Am - Herndon, Virginia
Final
Paola Longoria d. Rhonda Rajsich, 7-11, 3-11, 11-9, 11-7, 11-8
Follow the bouncing ball....
Saturday, May 5, 2012
Top two WPRO players to battle for SCS Title & Escrow Pro-Am Title
It will be #1 versus #2 again in a Women's Professional Racquetball Organization (WPRO) final as Paola Longoria and Rhonda Rajsich - the #1 and #2, respectively, WPRO players - won their semi-final matches Saturday at the SCS Title and Escrow Pro-Am in Herndon, Virginia. Longoria defeated 4th seed Krystal Csuk in three straight games, 11-0, 11-4, 11-5. Csuk was likely still feeling the effects of her five game battle with 5th seed Adrienne Fisher earlier in day.
For the second match in a row, Rajsich dropped the first game, but then came back to win, as she defeated 3rd seed Kerri Wachtel, 8-11, 11-0, 11-7, 11-4.
Rajsich would be well advised to not do that against Longoria on Sunday. Longoria hasn't lost a WPRO match since in a year, and hasn't lost a game since December, when Rajsich won the first two games of the Christmas Classic final, only to see Longoria come back and take the match in five games.
With a win on Sunday, Longoria would have 22 career titles, which puts her 5th all time (unofficially) behind Rajsich (25), Cheryl Gudinas (39), Michelle Gould (41) and Lynn Adams (43).
WPRO 2012 SCS Title and Escrow Pro-Am - Herndon, Virginia
Semi-finals
Paola Longoria d. Krystal Csuk, 11-0, 11-, 11-5
Rhonda Rajsich d. Kerri Wachtel, 8-11, 11-0, 11-7, 11-4
Final
Paola Longoria v. Rhonda Rajsich
Follow the bouncing ball....
2012 SCS Title & Escrow WPRO Pro-Am Quarter finals
The top four seeds won their respective quarter-finals at the SCS Title and Escrow Women's Professional Racquetball Organization (WPRO) Pro-Am in Herndon, Virginia. Number 1 seed Paola Longoria gave up the fewest points of the four, as she defeated Kristen Bellows, 11-7, 11-2, 11-3. Fourth seed Kerri Wachtel also won in three games, as she defeated Cheryl Gudinas, 11-7, 11-8, 12-10.
Second seed Rhonda Rajsich dropped the first game of her match with Susana Acosta, but then took the next three to win in four games, 8-11, 11-2, 11-7, 12-10.
The closest match was between 4th seed Krystal Csuk and 5th seed Adrienne Fisher, as Csuk needed five games to win, 11-8, 6-11, 11-8, 11-13, 11-3. Fisher led in game one 8-6, but Csuk won the next five points to take the first game 11-8. That was indicative of the match.
In game two, Fisher had a 6-1 lead, only to see Csuk come back and tie it at 6-6. Fisher did finish that game 11-6, and if she'd put that sort of finish into the other games, Fisher may have won the match.
Game three was closely fought with the players again tied at 6-6 and 8-8. Then Csuk went up 10-8. Fisher got the serve back and served a lob short, which only one of several unforced errors she made in the match.
Csuk won game three 11-8, so Fisher needed to win game four to force a tie-breaker. Again she took an early lead at 5-1, but again Csuk tied it at 5-5 and pushed ahead to 8-5. Fisher's turn to come back and she did, tying it at 9-9.
Fisher got game point opportunities at 10-9, but Csuk fought them off and had match points of her own at 11-10. Yet it was Fisher who ended the game by pulling it out 13-11.
In the tie-breaker, Csuk started quickly, going up 3-0 and 6-2. Fisher, perhaps tired from game four, had no answer, as Csuk went on to win it 11-3.
Both players used a variety of serves throughout the match. Fisher who often drive serves the majority of the time served a lot of lobs both to the left and right against Csuk, who mostly drove serve but hit drive Zs - to both the left and right - as well as straight drives to Fisher.
WPRO 2012 SCS Title and Escrow Pro-Am - Herndon, Virginia
Quarter finals
Paola Longoria d. Kristen Bellows, 11-7, 11-2, 11-3
Krystal Csuk d. Adrienne Fisher, 11-8, 6-11, 11-8, 11-13, 11-3
Kerri Wachtel d. Cheryl Gudinas, 11-7, 11-8, 12-10
Rhonda Rajsich d. Susana Acosta, 8-11, 11-2, 11-7, 12-10
Semi-finals
Paola Longoria v. Krystal Csuk
Rhonda Rajsich v. Kerri Wachtel
Follow the bouncing ball....
Friday, May 4, 2012
2012 SCS Title & Escrow Pro-Am - WPRO Round of 16
The Round of 16 at the SCS Title and Escrow Pro-Am in Herndon, Virginia - this weekend's Women's Professional Racquetball Organization (WPRO) event - produced one upset by the rankings, but it was former #1 Cheryl Gudinas defeating Jennifer Saunders in five games, 5-11, 12-10, 9-11, 11-5, 11-6, to advance to the quarter finals and likely continue Gudinas's streak of top 10 season ending finishes on the women's pro tour that dates back to 1994.
Krystal Csuk, the fourth seed for the first time in her career, was almost upset by Keely Franks, but managed to fend off the Texan in five games, 3-11, 11-4, 2-11, 11-6, 11-8.
Top seed Paola Longoria won easily, defeating Sarah Warhaftig, 11-0, 11-1, 11-3. Second seed Rhonda Rajsich might have been upset by Grace Hughes if they'd played a best of seven, as Hughes got three more points each game of their match. But of course, they played a best of five and Rajsich won in three games, 11-3, 11-6, 11-9.
WPRO 2012 SCS Title and Escrow Pro-Am - Herndon, Virginia
Round of 16
Paola Longoria d. Sarah Warhaftig, 11-0, 11-1, 11-3
Kristen Bellows d. Cristina Amaya, 11-7, 11-7, 9-11, 3-11, 11-8
Adrienne Fisher d. T. J. Baumbaugh, 11-5, 11-4, 11-7
Krystal Csuk d. Keely Franks, 3-11, 11-4, 2-11, 11-6, 11-8
Kerri Wachtel d. Laura Brandt, 11-6, 11-4, 11-1
Cheryl Gudinas d. Jennifer Saunders, 5-11, 12-10, 9-11, 11-5, 11-6
Susana Acosta d. Da'monique Davis, 11-8, 11-3, 11-13, 12-10
Rhonda Rajsich d. Grace Hughes, 11-3, 11-6, 11-9
Quarter finals
Paola Longoria v. Cristina Amaya or Kristen Bellows
Krystal Csuk v. Adrienne Fisher
Kerri Wachtel v. Cheryl Gudinas
Rhonda Rajsich v. Susana Acosta
Follow the bouncing ball....
2012 SCS Title & Escrow Pro-Am - WPRO 32s
The first round of the SCS Title and Escrow Pro-Am in Herndon, Virginia - this weekend's Women's Professional Racquetball Organization (WPRO) event - is complete, and there were no upsets. The anticipated match between Da'monique Davis and Brandi Jacobson Prentice did go extra games with the higher seeded Davis coming out on top, 11-8, 11-5, 2-11, 11-1. She'll play Mexican veteran Susana Acosta in the Round of 16 later Friday.
Cheryl Gudinas won the first match of the tournament, defeating Claudia Andrade, 11-4, 11-0, 11-2. That sets up a Round of 16 match between Gudinas and Jennifer Saunders, which will be played later today.
WPRO 2012 SCS Title and Escrow Pro-Am - Herndon, Virginia
Round of 32
Paola Longoria BYE
Sarah Warhaftig d. Marie Barron, 12-10, 11-6, 11-3
Cristina Amaya BYE
Kristen Bellows d. Karen Morton, 12-10, 11-5, 11-3
Adrienne Fisher BYE
T. J. Baumbaugh d. Ana Paola Nunez, 11-7, 11-2, 11-8
Keely Franks d. Anita Maldonado, 11-4, 7-11, 11-0, 11-5
Krystal Csuk BYE
Kerri Wachtel BYE
Laura Brandt d. Danielle Emerson, 11-8, 11-5, 8-11, 11-3
Cheryl Gudinas d. Claudia Andrade, 11-4, 11-0, 11-2
Jennifer Saunders BYE
Susana Acosta BYE
Da'monique Davis d. Brandi Jacobson Prentice, 11-8, 11-5, 2-11, 11-1
Grace Hughes d. Carla Munoz, 11-8, 11-2, 11-4
Rhonda Rajsich BYE
Round of 16
Paola Longoria v. Sarah Warhaftig
Cristina Amaya v. Kristen Bellows
Adrienne Fisher v. T. J. Baumbaugh
Krystal Csuk v. Keely Franks
Kerri Wachtel v. Laura Brandt
Jennifer Saunders v. Cheryl Gudinas
Susana Acosta v. Da'monique Davis
Rhonda Rajsich v. Grace Hughes
Follow the bouncing ball....
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
2012 WPRO SCS Title & Escrow Pro-Am Preview
Gigi Rock, Commissioner of the Women's Professional Racquetball Organization (WPRO) informed us that this weekend's SCS Title and Escrow Pro-Am in Herndon, Virginia will not be the last WPRO event of their 2011-12 season, contrary to what we wrote yesterday. The WPRO will have a satellite event at the Ektelon Nationals in Fullerton, California later this month.
So this weekend's tournament isn't the last opportunity for players to earn ranking points, but it's their last best opportunity as it is a Tier 1 event.
Twenty four players are entered for Herndon, including Kristen Bellows who wasn't entered when we wrote yesterday's piece. Also in the draw is Canadian National Team member Brandi Jacobson Prentice, who doesn't have a current ranking, so she could be in a position to play a wild card role.
We've created a draw for Herndon based on the latest WPRO rankings. There are a couple of uncertainties as Karen Morton and Jacobson Prentice don't have rankings.
WPRO 2012 SCS Title and Escrow Pro-Am - Herndon, Virginia
Round of 32
Paola Longoria BYE
Sarah Warhaftig v. Marie Barron
Cristina Amaya BYE
Kristen Bellows v. Karen Morton or Brandi Jacobson Prentice
Adrienne Fisher BYE
T. J. Baumbaugh v. Ana Paola Nunez
Keely Franks v. Anita Maldonado
Krystal Csuk BYE
Kerri Wachtel BYE
Danielle Emerson v. Laura Brandt
Cheryl Gudinas v. Claudia Andrade
Jennifer Saunders BYE
Susana Acosta BYE
Da'monique Davis v. Karen Morton or Brandi Jacobson Prentice
Grace Hughes v. Carla Munoz
Rhonda Rajsich BYE
Follow the bouncing ball....
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